Cauliflower Meatballs

The humble cauliflower is a powerhouse of health promoting qualities; its versatility can be seen in the many different ways the vegetable is cooked; in soups, salads, fritters, stir-fries, curries or as this dish demonstrates, as healthy Cauliflower Meatballs.

These meatballs are delicious eaten warm as finger food or as a side dish and can be enjoyed cold as well. The taste and texture is similar to a falafel and therefore makes a great falafel alternative sandwiched in between a wrap smothered with avocado and Chickpea Pate.

Whichever way you decide to eat these Cauliflower Meatballs, you will find them moreish making them hard to stop at just a few. It’s a great way of getting kids to eat their cauliflower!

There are many ways to eat Cauliflower, in soups, salads, fritters, stir-fries, curries or enjoyed as Cauliflower Meatballs.

The humble but versatile Cauliflower is the centrepiece of this vegetarian meatball dish.

Method

Bring water to the boil in a small saucepan and add the polenta.

Stir the polenta constantly for 5 minutes until thickened, then reduce the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

The polenta helps to bind the cauliflower adding bulk and texture to the meatballs.

While polenta is cooking, chop the cauliflower into small pieces and steam or boil for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is extremely tender to the touch.

Chop the cauliflower into small florets and steam or boil until tender.

Add the steamed cauliflower to the polenta and add the baby spinach, yoghurt, almond meal and egg, then season with a little salt and pepper.

Combine the cauliflower, polenta, baby spinach, yoghurt, almond meal and egg in a large bowl.

Combine the ingredients thoroughly, and then scoop a tablespoon of the cauliflower mixture into your hands and shape into small balls.

Using a spoon or your hands, thoroughly mix the cauliflower mixture together to form a sticky like dough.

Roll the cauliflower balls into the almond meal.

Shape the cauliflower mixture into golf sized balls then bake for 30 minutes to achieve a golden crispy crust.

Pre-heat an oven to 180°C.

Line a tray with baking paper and place the cauliflower balls onto the paper and into the oven to bake for approximately 30 minutes or until they turn a golden colour. You will need to rotate the balls for even colouring.

Hi, the polenta is meant to be very thick as the texture replicates the use of breadcrumbs. Traditional polenta - particularly from the north is meant to be thick set - this isn't a dish for wet polenta hence the ratio of polenta to water.

There shouldn't be a need to incorporate breadcrumbs. If your polenta was thick - you are on the right track. North Italians turn their noses up at any polenta that is wet or is runny - yes it's true, the northerners are polenta snobs. My father was born in udine situated in the north east of Italy bordering Slovenia and Austria and it's the way they make this dish (who am I to play with that culture or that culinary expectation)!

You can purée the cauliflower but this would probably exacerbate the wet issue you experienced. Breaking the cauliflower down with a fork instead gives you the added texture.

The egg and yoghurt are merely agents to help bind the mixture. I've never tried egg relacer - is it powder form? If you want to omit the yoghurt and egg perhaps substitute with a small amount of almond milk to help with the binding process.

I hope you try these again but please please do ensure you have a thick polenta base.

Thankyou for the feedback, I appreciate it, it's the only way we can learn and improve our skills! I think you'll appreciate my next comment or hopefully get a giggle out if it ... I took my mum and dad to a polenta bar in Adelaide - in fact it was a family get together with all us kids flying in for the celebration - we've grown up on polenta and were psyched about chowing down on polenta - when it was served, every single person of our group of 9 looked around at one another and said what the ... The polenta was served as a wet dish! We were expecting traditional northern Italian thick set polenta ! We still chowed down but we still laugh over the experience and the expectation